Fringe Supply Co. Rambler Satchel Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

I know there are a lot of knitters in the pen world, and across the whole world knitters are turning their heads at the new bag released from Fringe Supply Co. It's called the Rambler, and it answers the call for a heavyweight canvas knitting bag with a shoulder strap. But the design takes things to the next level, and the bag will no doubt have appeal for pen addicts and bag addicts as well.

Minimalist canvas bags are everywhere at the moment, and Fringe was one of those that set the trend back in 2012 when they released their Field Bag. Knitters went crazy for them. Since then, Fringe Supply Co. has grown, diversified their offerings, and become one of those businesses that does good things for their community. So, when I saw the Rambler on Instagram, I got major heart eyes. And when I looked more closely at their promo pictures, I couldn't help but notice that Palomino Blackwing pencil poking out of one of the tool slots. Well. Here again we see the reach of our extended family of makers, creators--those who use tools and the cases they need to carry those tools.

The folks at Fringe were kind enough to send a bag for me to try, and it hasn't left my side in the two weeks since it arrived. If the bag looks a bit scruffy in my pictures, that's because I put it right to work, and it's not an easy life being my bag. I work six days a week, and three of those days are 12-hour days, across several towns. I'm hauling everything I need to get through those days, from books to tools, to meals, to extra clothes. I need a bag that can keep up.

The Rambler is meeting my demands in a way that few bags have. It fits all my stuff, it's comfortable to carry, and it's not perfect. As I've said before, in my search for the perfect bag, the worst thing that could ever happen is that I would find it, thus ending the search. Because the search is the fun part, and bags like this are what makes it fun.

One of the best things about it are its dimensions. It's 13.5" tall, 12" across, and 7" deep. I could fit 12+ hardback books in that kind of real estate, friends. Or, three books plus all the other stuff I need to get through the day. Because it's tall instead of wide, I don't find it hanging awkwardly in a way that shifts my balance and causes back and shoulder pain, like many messenger bags do. The adjustable strap lets me place it where it's most comfortable. It hasn't caused me any pain, even when I overburden it the way that I so often do.

Another dreamy feature of the bag is POCKETS. So many pockets. The front has a wide gusseted pouch with a snap closure, and inside that are one slotted pocket and three pen/tool slots. On the back of the bag is a large slot pocket with a snap closure. Inside there's one medium slot on one side, and one small slot and three pen/tool slots on the other side. Between those two, the spacious bucket of the bag body awaits your larger items. The main compartment snaps closed with a single snap, but I usually let it stay open. My only issue with the pockets is that the three tool slots inside the front pocket and the three tool slots inside the main compartment share a back wall--so if you put a larger tool or pen in one, you can't easily fit something in its counterpart slot on the other side. You couldn't put a regular-sized pen in each of those slots. So while it may at first look like it could carry six pens, it really only carries three. Of course, this wasn't made to be a pen bag. And you can easily carry three pens plus knitting needles and crochet hooks in some of those slots. So this isn't a design flaw so much as a use-case situation.

The adjustable shoulder strap goes from 30" to 54" to fit a variety of heights and preferences. It's a comfortable 1.5" wide, so it doesn't dig into your shoulder. It's made of soft but sturdy 100% cotton woven webbing and has the perfect balance of stiffness and flexibility. The same material lines the outside top rim of the bag, except for at the center of the front and back, where it separates to form two handles. I love this bit of design genius. These hidden handles are my favorite feature on the bag.

Everything is made of 100% cotton, all made in the USA. The hardware is antiqued brass. The color it comes in currently is called "toffee" and it's a beautiful honey color. If the past is any indication, other colors will likely follow down the line. The canvas does pick up dirt easily, and Fringe recommends spot cleaning it with their canvas cleaner and a toothbrush.

All these fabulous features aside, the bag is also cute. Which means in the two weeks I've carried it, I've had friends comment on it and ask me where I got it. And that's when I have to break the bad news to them--this bag costs $178. That is really a lot for a canvas bag, even a great canvas bag. Justifying a price like that takes a bit of work. If this were simply a cute, trendy bag being sold in an overpriced high street boutique, I'd laugh at that price. But that's not what this is. There's a bit more going on behind the scenes in the life of these bags. You can read more about Fringe Supply Co.'s ethical business practices on their about page, but the bottom line is that when you support their business, you're supporting fair wages for an ecosystem of workers. It's a story that resonates with a lot of other small businesses in the extended family of the pen and stationery world. I had to correct my first impression that this bag is overpriced. It's not--it's fairly priced. Cheaper bags are often cheaper because somewhere along the line, workers are being exploited.

Of course, that price tag is still an obstacle. It's inaccessible for many, and would have been for me, if they hadn't been so kind as to send me one. You can find a good canvas bag for a quarter of this price. But it likely won't be made by well-employed sewers in a comfortable facility for a fair wage by an employer who is environmentally and socially conscious. If you've got $175 to spend on a good bag, spend it on a good bag that does good in return, and I highly recommend this one.

(Fringe Supply Co. provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Sarah Read and filed under Fringe Supply Co., Bag Review.

Diamine Inkvent Calendar Day 4

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

It’s December 4th and today’s ink is one of my favorites. It’s called Polar Glow and the name suits it perfectly.

Polar Glow is a dark blue ink with purple/magenta sheen.

The blue is highly saturated and the sheen simply glows in sunshine.

On Rhodia paper, the ink’s sheen is hardly noticeable. In fact, the color looks much more like a straightforward blue. You can see a bit of the sheen in the swab and in the medium and broad writing examples.

Polar Glow is a superb color, especially if you love inks with sheen. The color almost exactly matches the blue of the Inkvent Calendar (at least on Rhodia paper), but when you write with flex or broad nibs or do swabs, the purple/magenta sheen glows like the reflection of the Milky Way on icy northern waters.

(Cult Pens provided the Diamine Inkvent Calendar to Pen Addict free of charge for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on December 4, 2019 by Susan Pigott and filed under Diamine, Inkvent.

BIGiDESIGN Ti Ultra Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Well, they've done it again. That's what I thought when I laid eyes on the latest pen design from BIGiDESIGN a few months ago. For the uninitiated, BIGiDESIGN is a small design firm that focuses on creating high-quality EDC gear and pens that can accommodate a wide variety (100+) of gel, rollerball, and ballpoint refills. Chadwick and Joe have high standards and great design sense, and it really shows when you pick up and use any of their products.

I've had the pleasure and honor of using several other BIGiDESIGN pens over the years. My introduction to the brand was the Ti Arto EDC — a capped pen that can expand and contract to match the length of popular refills. It's a great pen, and I still enjoy using it. For the times when I want a click pen, the Ti Click is perfect for the job. Again, it expands/contracts to match the length of the refill you want to use, and adds the convenience of a smooth click action. Both of these are great additions to any EDC kit.

The Ti Ultra is the latest addition to the product lineup, and it really lives up to its name. The Ultra is a titanium pen that eschews earlier designs of the BIGiDESIGN lineup in favor of a more classic capped rollerball or fountain pen design. While the pen still has plenty of gaskets and machined details, it also feels a lot more refined and sexy than the other products.

What really sets the Ultra apart is what you get as part of the package. This pen can really do it all. Out of the box, the pen is configured with a fine titanium #6 Bock nib. It includes an international converter so you can instantly fill it with your favorite ink. But, along with the titanium nib, a fine #6 stainless steel Bock nib is also included in a separate storage tube.

For those that don't prefer the springy and light feel of the titanium nib, swapping it out for the steel nib is an easy task. In no time, you have a completely different configuration for your new pen.

But what really blows my mind is the fact that a ballpoint/rollerball refill section is also included! This section operates similarly to the Ti Arto EDC with a collar that grips the end of the refill. The screwing action is done on the grip section and you can hardly tell that the grip is split into two parts since the tolerance and quality of the materials and assembly is so high. The refill section comes with a black 0.38mm Uni-ball Signo DX refill already installed, and it also has a plastic storage tube for safe keeping when not in use.

You know how easy it is to remove and install the grip section of most pens? That's how it easy it is in this case to change your fountain pen to a ballpoint/rollerball/gel ink pen and vice-versa. It's incredible, and I still can't get over how cool it is in practice.

Along with the novelty of swapping the fountain pen section for the refill section, you begin to notice that everything is made of titanium. This makes the pen strong while keeping it lightweight and comfortable to use in either configuration. If the balance isn't quite right, you can always post the cap to even it out a little. When posting the cap, there's a satisfying click that tells you the cap is secured fastened to the butt of the pen. After using this pen for a while, I've come to admire how every little detail was thought out.

So, novelty aside, how does this pen write? Starting with the fountain pen configuration and the titanium nib, I can't be happier with how this writes out of the box. The nib is smooth and responsive. I haven't had any problems with skipping or hard starts, which may be attributed to the gasket that seals the cap to the pen when closed, preventing any air from going in and out to dry out the nib feed.

The titanium nib is springy and delightful to use. And, if you add a little pressure to a downstroke, you can make the line width blossom out to a medium or bold equivalent.

The grip is very textured and provides a lot of stability and control while writing. The grooves that make up the grip texture are smooth and comfortable, and the long nib makes the grip pattern and distance to the paper a great match for my writing style ("normal" three finger claw grip).

I prefer using the pen without the cap posted, but that's my preference with most pens I use. Writing with the cap posted doesn't change the balance of the pen in any negative way, and it does add some more stability. I just don't prefer the longer length.

Overall, I've been really happy with this pen as a fountain pen. That makes it difficult for me to commit to swapping it out for the refill section!

When I do actually swap it out, I'm wonderfully delighted by the process of installing a refill with the hidden grip section controls for the refill tip collar.

Once I have the refill section all installed, I've had nothing but good experiences when using the pen. I'm already accustomed to the weight and feel, and nothing changes with this configuration apart from the distance from my fingers to the paper. The refill section is a tiny bit shorter, but the grip is still comfortable and doesn't cause any problems for my grip style.

The grip texture is identical to the fountain pen section, which means my fingers know exactly what to do. It's a comfortable and familiar writing experience that allows me to write with my favorite refills. In short, I love it.

Overall, I've been really impressed by the attention to detail and excellent design and materials of the Ti Ultra. I certainly still love my Ti Click and Ti Arto EDC, but they aren't being used quite as much of late due to this stellar new addition to the lineup.

The Ti Ultra is available in two finishes: stonewashed (featured in this review) and machined raw. Both look great, and that makes the decision fairly difficult. I've noticed that the stonewashed finish doesn't ding up as easily as my other BIGiDESIGN pens, but that might be specific to my uses. In general, titanium is a material that scuffs and scratches quite easily, which adds a lot of character. I can't offer up any advice over which material to choose — just go with your gut!

Lastly, it's definitely worth talking about price in this case, because the Ti Ultra isn't cheap. At $240, it's one of the most expensive metal machined pens I have in my collection, and it's also not the only one that can pull double duty with fountain pens and refills. But, it is the only one that can fit over 100 refills with ease. I'm not limited to one kind of refill if I decide to swap out the fountain pen section. I can use almost any refill at my disposal, and that's really something special. Considering the fact that everything I've discussed here is included with the price, I think it's a fair deal. You're basically getting two pens for one with limitless options as to how you configure it. The included Bock nibs are great, but you can also easily swap them out for something more unique, and the build quality and materials are such that this pen will easily outlast you on this earth if you take proper care of it. $240 is definitely something to think about, but it makes sense to me in terms of what you get for your money.

If the Ti Ultra speaks to you, you won't be disappointed. But, if it's a bit too expensive for your budget, the more affordable pen options are also excellent choices. Even better, these pens make great gifts due to the endless customization and refills it can accommodate.

(BIGiDESIGN provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!